The present invention relates to door assemblies, and more particularly, to a shock arresting pivot assembly for hinge doors.
As is well known, pivoting of a door to a full open position can produce substantial shear loading or wracking forces on the door and on the hinges. This condition is particularly pronounced when the door is one which is frequently opened and closed and subjected to substantial opening forces tending to drive it to the full open position of the hinges which stop further movement in the opening direction. It is also pronounced when relatively heavy doors are abruptly stopped in their opening movement by door stops and door closers. If such stops or closers are mounted at the top of the door along its width, they can provide a point about which the upper end of the door attempts to pivot as a result of the opening forces to place great stress upon the hinges and their mounting to the door and jamb.
To alleviate the wracking forces on the door assembly, shock arrestor pivot assemblies have been employed and mounted along the upper edge of the door to assist in withstanding the stresses by arresting the shear loading on the door and spread the wracking forces over a relatively large area of the face of the door and of the jamb adjacent thereto. Such shock arrestors have enjoyed considerable acceptance in commercial, industrial and residential applications, and are exemplified by those illustrated in Parsons U.S. Pat. No. 3,874,027 and Bennett U.S. Pat. No. 3,561,038.
Because doors may be mounted along either side thereof depending upon the intended installation, the configuration of prior arrestors has generally required the stocking of left and right hand versions. As a result, if the stock of either version should be exhausted, an arrestor cannot be immediately installed. Moreover, with respect to an existing arrestor installation, if it should be desired to change the hand of the door, it would be necessary to obtain a new door arresting assembly.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a novel shock arresting door pivot which is adapted for use in both left and right handed door installations.
It is also an object to provide such a door pivot which may be readily fabricated from durable components to provide a long-lived assembly.
Another object is to provide such pivot assembly which may be readily assembled to the door and adjacent frame, and which may be readily moved from a position along one side of the door to a position along the other side of the door in the event that it is desired to change the hand or opening direction of the door.